XMen 31: Resurrection
by Juliebmr
Summary: Scott's and Jean's deaths may be exaggerated. A continuation of the events in the movie XMen: The Last Stand. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

_Authors note: This was originally going to be the Prologue of a longer story, but my esteemed beta-readers (aka Jen and Amy) thought it could stand on it's own for a while._

_This is my idea of how "The Last Stand" should have ended. (You honestly didn't think I'd leave Scott in the dust, did you?)_

_Standard disclaimer: I don't own them; I'm just borrowing them for our entertainment._

X-Men 3.1 Resurrection

Chapter 1 -- Prologue

Phoenix surveyed the carnage before her feeling – nothing. The destruction didn't please her; it was just unpleasant. The screams of the dead and dying, the fighting, the energy of combat meant nothing to her. She had expected to find it intoxicating, but it was depressing. She wasn't happy. She wanted to feel happy – she tried to remember the last time she had felt happy.

A face and mind came to her unbidden. Had the soldiers not opened fire with their darts, she would have left with the X-Men and returned to her love, resurrecting him as she had herself. But they did, and she reacted instinctively, furiously. Her anger consumed her to a point she barely saw the figure fighting his way towards her.

"Would you die for _them_!"

"No, I'd die for you."

/ _So would I_. /

_His voice_. She saw immediately how she could be freed from the weight that bound her to this body. When the claws entered her, she returned to him, abandoning the shell that contained her, leaving Logan to sob over an empty husk.

Being without a body wasn't strange to her. She had done it before, after all.

X X X

Alkali Lake – the scene of the crash. Lumps of rock still floated in the air; power was all around and made her skin prickle. For she had taken on solid form again; it would be easier for what she was going to do.

She closed her eyes and concentrated, concentrated on the body, voice, and mind of her beloved. Very soon, a familiar shape took form.

X X X

Being de-molecularized wasn't a picnic, as Scott Summers would later relate. It took a moment to get used to being solid again. Then he realized Jean was standing in front of him.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I think I've done something terrible," she whispered. She pushed all the events of the last few days into his head, taking care to be gentle and slow. But still, it was a lot of information and it hurt.

"Oh, Jean," Scott breathed when he realized the enormity of it all.

"Help me," she begged. "I don't want to be a destroyer. I don't want to be caged, but I need help. You're the only one I can trust."

He took her hand and led her to where his bike still lay, blown over by the explosion that took place a few days before. They road off together. Phoenix knew his intended destination and she was content to go there. One thing she knew – she could trust Scott Summers. Unlike Charles Xavier, he had never pretended she wasn't there.

X X X

It took two days of hard riding to reach the cabin in Alaska. The only check was at the boarder, where Phoenix made the officials "see" two passports, when in reality there was only Scott's one drivers license.

The cabin had belonged to Scott's grandparents and after a minor legal tussle, to him. It was small, with a lean-to kitchen and bathroom. She had been there before. Her favorite thing about the cabin was the view, with the wide expansive lake before them. Not as large as Alkali Lake, but more beautiful.

They sat on the rocks together. Scott knew he had to understand what he was dealing with now. It had never, would never, occur to him to abandon Jean to her fate. Whatever the future held, they would face it together.

"Now tell me again what happened," he said. "Only go slower this time."

She sighed and gave it to him again, at half the speed as before. Still he winced, but he got more of it.

"They think I'm dead – they think you're dead – what did you do with Charles?"

She turned away. "I put him somewhere."

"Where?"

"Where he'll learn what it's like to be caged."

"Jean?" There was a hint of warning in Scott's voice.

"He's safe and well," she replied.

He knew he'd get nothing more out of her for now. He decided the change the topic. "Do you understand what you did?"

"It was all Magneto's fault," she proclaimed petulantly. "He encouraged me to – behave badly."

"Well, he does have that affect on people," Scott agreed drily. "The question is – do you want to be Jean or do you want to be Phoenix?"

"I don't want to be caged," she repeated.

"You don't have to be," he assured her. "There are no cages here; I'm certainly not capable of it. But who do you want to be?"

Her lip quivered now. "Jean," she whispered.

He took her hand. "Then you're Jean. And we'll find a way to work everything out. We'll find a place to start."

"I suppose you'll want me to start by putting everyone else back together," Jean said unexpectedly.

"Can you?" Scott was surprised.

She signed. "If I can sort out the energies – make them distinct – possibly."

"Try," he urged. "Anything you can do to reverse the destruction – it will make you feel better."

Privately she had her doubts, but she concentrated on the task at hand.

In far away Alcatraz Island, dust particles swirled and began to form shapes.

X X X

They continued to talk through the night. Jean agreed nervously that Scott would reveal himself to Storm, but would swear her to secrecy. One of them had to be officially alive to function in the outside world. Jean smiled as she felt Storm's happiness when she realized Scott was alive. She was also mildly surprised that Storm kept Jean's resurrection and second "death" from him. She supposed it was to protect Scott from further anguish.

That done, they sat in front of the fire, Jean laying in the circle of Scott's arm, feeling safe and well for the first time in days. There was no more confusion in her mind, no more multiple voices. She had a chance to become whole.

"You're taking all of this very calmly," she said.

"I'm not in a position to throw stones," he explained. "I didn't have a breakdown, Jean. I ... broke. Not broke down -- broke." He looked at her face in the firelight. "I can't live without you, Jean. I know that's weak, I know I should be able to. But I can't."

"I didn't do well without you either," she reflected.

"Why did you ..?" he made a motion with his hands, signifying being blown up.

"I don't know," Jean responded honestly. "I was jangly after rematerializing – and I saw you there ... and I wanted you ... to be a part of me. And then you were gone. It wasn't until I heard your voice in my head, that I knew I could bring you back."

"How can you still hold my blasts back?" he asked. "Should I get my visor?"

She smiled now, glad to impart some good news. "You were taken apart at the molecular level – and you were put back the same way. Your DNA knows the knee bone's connected to the thigh bone – but it doesn't know you broke your leg once. It doesn't know about the head injury either. You're healed."

"Healed?"

She nodded.

He took a deep breath. That was completely unexpected. "I guess we'll keep healing together," Scott said.

And the healing began.

X X X


	2. ﻿Rising from the Ashes

_Author's Note: I finally finished the rest of the story. As always, I'd like to thank my Beta readers Jen and Amy for keeping my verbs and prepositions in line. All errors are mine._

_Standard disclaimer: I don't own them; I'm just borrowing them for our entertainment._

**X-Men 3.1 Resurrection**

Chapter 2 – Rising from the Ashes

_One year later_

Storm sat at her desk and sighed. In spite of being headmistress for a year now, she had never really felt comfortable in the role. Leading the X-Men, yes, running the school, no. But she did her best and was rewarded by the love and respect of her students. It was more than enough to make up for the chaos in the office.

She moved one stack of forms from one part of the desk to another and continued with the discussion at hand. "I've had five former students who took the "Cure" call me in as many days in a total panic," she said. "They've got their powers back, or they've got some of their powers back, or they've got powers they've never had before."

She stopped and looked at the other woman across the desk. "You haven't noticed anything, have you?"

"I wouldn't still be a brunette if I had," came the caustic reply. "I much prefer being a blond." It was Raven Darkholme, or as she defiantly insisted on being called – Mystique.

After being abandoned by Magneto, Mystique had turned on the entire Brotherhood, telling the authorities everything she knew about the organization. She was given complete amnesty by the government, but was left with nowhere to go. She literally showed up on the doorstep of the Xavier School.

"This place was founded as a refuge for mutants," she declared on her arrival. "They may have taken my powers from me, but I'm still a mutant."

Storm had been impressed and desperate for teachers, so she was willing to have Mystique as an instructor. She looked on it as being on parole – Mystique never told her how she looked on it. But she quickly settled in and took over the PE, self defense, and computer classes.

Surprisingly, the students took to their new teacher. Of course, they had a whole slew of new teachers to get used to. Hank McCoy had used all his contacts to find new teachers to replace Scott, Jean, and Charles Xavier. They were a mixed bag, Mutants and non-Mutants, but they were all behind the philosophy of the school. Everything had been going so well; Storm, ever the pessimist, had been waiting for the other shoe to drop and it finally had.

The major newscasts had picked up the story about a month ago. Many of those who had taken Worthington's Industries "Cure" for mutations (actually a serum derived from a young mutant whose gift was suppressing the mutations of others) had gotten their mutations back. Some only slightly, some to where they were before, and others had their mutations go into overdrive, with stronger and even new powers.

Those who had been against "The Cure" from the start, cheerfully chanted "I told you so". If anything, it showed that mutations were truly part of an individual's genetic makeup, that couldn't be eradicated so easily. On the positive side, the news coverage was mostly compassionate and showed those who had taken the serum and were now anguished, terrified – and angry.

Storm understood the anger well. While she had definitely been on the anti-Cure side, she let it be known that anyone who wanted to come to the Xavier School for help was welcome. Charles Xavier's legacy would continue.

Storm glanced over the desk again. Every part of the surface was covered in paper. "I don't know what to do with half this stuff," she confessed.

"Burn it?" suggested Mystique.

"I'm tempted," she replied. "A nice, well-placed lightning strike – but there's probably something important there. I think the stuff breeds overnight. It never got this bad when Scott was in charge."

"I thought Xavier ran the place?"

"Scott handled the day-to-day stuff," Storm explained. "Charles always intended for the school to go to him, but after Jean ..."

"One of the many things that happened 'After Jean'," Mystique declared tartly.

Storm sighed. That was all too true.

X X X

Three thousand miles away, Eric Lensherr, formerly known as Magneto, was ruminating on much the same topic. In the year since he had attempted to spark a Mutant Revolution, Eric had been keeping a very low profile. He stayed in San Francisco, using the old technique of hiding in plain sight. No one spotted him. He got a job as a night watchman near the docks and had a tiny apartment nearby. It was a quiet life.

His favorite pastime was to go to the park and play chess, usually against himself, but occasionally with others. Today, he was at his regular spot and by himself.

He loved to sense the metal around him. That part of his power returned very soon after he was struck by the X-Men with "The Cure". He knew from the news many were getting their powers back and rejoiced. If only Charles were there to see it ...

With that thought came an unexpected sensation, of one mind reaching out to another. It was something he hadn't felt in years, but recognized instantly.

"Charles."

X X X

There was only one person Eric could call, and he called collect. Just for the fun of it.

"Good evening, Moira," he said. "How are you this evening?"

The call didn't last long, but left Eric very worried. Feeling Charles' mind was a shock enough; but there was also a sense of something else, something not quite right. The phone call confirmed it. He wasn't stupid enough to come out with "Is Charles alive?" – he already sensed that. What was disturbing was Moira. She was terrified; there was no way she could hide it. She was frightened for _herself_ -- and that only confirmed what he felt. There was no doubt Charles' conscientiousness was still in existence and probably had a body to go with it.

And Charles wasn't happy. In fact, he was very angry.

Which left Eric concerned enough to ponder his next move. He found his old helmet and put it on – just to be safe.

X X X

Back in his apartment, Eric considered his options. They were few. If Charles had survived but was mentally damaged – he didn't want to think what that would mean. It would be so much easier if Phoenix were still alive too ...

Eric drew himself up sharply. If Charles was alive, Phoenix could also be alive. Somehow, he had always doubted her meeting her end as simply as being skewered by the Wolverine. But how to find her?

He cast his mind over to all the mutants he had come across during his long life. Calisto, who could sense mutations, would have been very useful, but then again, she wasn't the only one with talents. There were many mutants still in existence, it was just a matter of finding the right one to help him.

X X X

He rented a car the next day and drove to Merced, in the San Joaquin valley. The tiny rambler was like all the others in the neighborhood and hid the very powerful mutant who lived within.

The door was opened by a middle aged woman, wearing an apron and carrying a jam bedecked spoon.

"Good evening, Oracle," Eric said politely.

"Magneto. I can't find her for you," she said suddenly. "She's too strong and would block any attempts."

"It's not the Phoenix I want you to find," he explained.

"Ah," she replied. Then she smiled broadly. "So many more futures now," she said. "Come in and let's see which ones are closest to us."

X X X

They sat in Oracle's kitchen, pouring over an atlas while the jam cooked on the stove. It reminded Eric of his long-dead grandmother's house.

"The boy's family came from Alaska," Eric told Oracle. "Start there and see if you can find him." One thing Eric was sure of – if Jean and Charles had survived, so had Scott. And if Scott was alive, Jean would probably be with him. Even if she wasn't, the boy would be a good bargaining chip. Only by finding them both would they all have a fighting chance.

X X X

It didn't surprise Eric that he had to go to Alaska on his quest. It was the most logical place. Oracle had actually seen a complete location (for once). He would start there.

The small town was a gateway for hunters and fisherman going into the Alaskan wild. It didn't take him long to find the business office of "Alaskan Wildlife Tours" – a tiny place with a small fleet of planes on the lake behind the building. Eric went in and began his story of wanting to go camping in the wilderness. He finished up with an apparent afterthought.

"I was wondering if Scott Summers is available to take me up there? A friend of mine used your company once, and spoke very highly of him."

"Scott's one of the best pilots I've ever seen," the manager agreed. "He's here today. Since you're headed up near where he lives, I'm sure he'll be happy to take you there. I'll even let him go home early," she laughed.

"How nice," Eric agreed.

X X X

Eric walked down the docks to the plane the woman indicated.

"Good afternoon, my boy," he said.

Scott turned, but seemed remarkably unsurprised by his visitor. "I have to admit, I expected to see someone eventually," he said. "But I didn't expect it to be you."

"We have a problem," Eric explained. "Charles."

Scott took off his sunglasses then and Eric instinctively stepped aside – and found himself being regarded by a pair of beautiful blue eyes.

"The Cure?" Eric asked contemptuously.

"No," Scott replied. "A different kind of cure."

"Ah," the older man said. "That's who I need to see."

Scott sighed. "Then we better get going."

X X X

"Aren't you going to call her?" Eric asked once they were airborne.

"Already have," Scott replied.

"Or course," Eric acknowledged. "I imagine your link is even stronger now. Charles was furious when he found out about that."

"Lucky for all of us that he didn't interfere," came the terse reply.

"How is she?"

"Better." Silence reigned between them before Scott broke it. "How much of your powers do you have back?"

"Some," Eric admitted. "I'm surprised you knew about that."

"This is Alaska, not outer Mongolia," Scott said dryly. "We have a satellite dish. We know what's going on."

The rest of the flight was in silence. Eric admired the view. The area was simply gorgeous, there was no doubt about that.

He spotted the cabin and the dock as Scott begin his decent. There was a figure waiting on the dock. It was Jean. In spite of what had happened between them last, Eric was inwardly overjoyed to see her. They would have a fighting chance after all.

Jean stood impassively, waiting as they got out of the plane.

"I had hoped I'd never see you again," she announced and then looked up at the darkening sky. "However, you'll have to stay for dinner, and you'll definitely have to stay the night." She suddenly smiled. "Good thing I made a pie for dessert." With that, she led the way back to the cabin.

"Yummy," Scott said. To Eric's quizzical glance he explained, "She's gotten really good at making pies."

With a shake of his head, Eric followed them up the path to the cabin.

X X X


	3. Alaskan Interlude

_Standard disclaimer: I don't own them; I'm just borrowing them for our entertainment._

**X-Men 3.1 Resurrection**

Chapter 3 – Alaskan Interlude

The interior of the cabin was a direct contrast from the outside. Outside, it was made of rough wood logs, aged by time and climate. Inside was warm, fragrant, and well, _homey_. The furniture was simple: a bed, dresser, wardrobe, couch, table, chairs and bookcases. Lots of bookcases. In fact, books seemed to have overrun the house. The kitchen was a small, lean-to addition and what seemed to be bathroom facilities of sorts beyond that. The windows faced the lake and the stunning view.

"Absolutely magnificent," Eric murmured.

"Glad you like it," Scott responded drily as he set the table. Eric spotted Jean in the kitchen, pulling a dish out of the oven.

"How are you, my dear?" he asked when she came back into the main room.

"Better, thank you," Jean replied. "Why are you here, Eric?"

"I need your help," he stated. "And you probably know why."

She sighed. "Charles."

Scott shot her glance but said nothing.

"Well," she said after a moment. "Let's have dinner. Tell me what you've sensed and we'll make plans from there."

X X X

Dinner was simple, but quite good, Eric decided. Meatloaf, fried potatoes, green beans, and the blueberry pie – which as Scott said, was very good. During dinner, Eric explained what he had felt and detailed his phone call to Moira. Jean looked more and more uncomfortable as the story progressed.

"What do you expect me to do?" she complained. "Charles is safe enough on Muir Island."

"Is he?" Eric prompted. "Let's not forget how powerful Charles is. He almost killed us all at Alkali Lake ..."

"Before you reversed the machine to attempt a non-mutant genocide," Scott interrupted.

"Besides the point," Eric continued. "It didn't feel like Charles. Not the man we know."

"Maybe we didn't know him as well as we thought," Jean replied.

Of all people, Jean understood that concept the most.

X X X

As they ate, Scott pondered their predicament and Eric's presence. As Eric outlined the problem, he knew they would have to leave their refuge and _act_. And that was the part that scared him the most.

The past year hadn't been smooth sailing. The first three months had been the worst. Jean had the attention span of a small child, with a temper to match. There were some days Scott wasn't sure they would succeed. But Jean _wanted_ to control her powers and that gave them an edge. After some discussion, she agreed to give conventional therapy a try, with someone trained in handling multiple personality disorders, which was the best explanation of Jean/Phoenix. That, combined with anger management classes (both conducted by radio), had helped.

Scott also helped, and in unexpected ways. He had always said he couldn't teach others how to control their powers since he previously had no control over his. But that wasn't quite true. Scott was a master at managing his powers, understanding them and the dangers they represented. He was the best teacher in that subject Jean could have had.

And Jean wasn't the only one to benefit from the isolation. Scott was also in much better shape than a year ago. After Alkali Lake, his condition, both mental and physical, had spiraled downwards quickly. He had been worn down by anti-depressant drugs, lack of sleep, lack of food, and Jean's voice in his head. He had been afraid he was going insane; the fear that he was right kept him from voicing his feelings to anyone else. But it _had_ been Jean's voice, calling to him from beneath the lake, waiting for release only a powerful burst of energy could provide. Scott had provided that with his optic blasts. When they came to Alaska, he now understood the origin of the voice, his body rid itself of the unneeded medications, and rest and food completed the physical and mental healing.

Time was truly their ally. Slowly, Jean's attention span improved and so did her control. Tentatively, they began to reach out from the cabin's isolation. They began with overnight stays in small towns, and built up to spending whole weekends in different parts of the state. Jean handled the small crowds well and showed no signs of the psychic meltdowns she had experienced in the past. Scott now wondered if those meltdowns had simply been Phoenix, trying to make herself known. Jean wasn't sure and Scott didn't press the point with her.

In any event, as the spring thaw set in, Scott found himself a job as a pilot. And for the last few weeks, Jean had been volunteering in a nearby village clinic. The locals liked her; she was interested in and respectful of native medicine, and was happy to work in tandem with traditional healers.

But still, Scott knew, and Jean knew, this life they had created wasn't going to be permanent. That Charles Xavier would be the catalyst to bring them out of their retreat, was, Scott felt, one of life's little ironies.

X X X

Thousands of miles away, Charles was also considering life's little ironies. Waking up in another body was hard enough to get used to. The face was impossible. Fortunately, modern medicine had a remedy.

He looked at himself in the mirror. "I think the plastic surgeon did a wonderful job. I really look like myself. What do you think, Moira?"

"Very good," she acknowledged.

"I'd like to think I was taller," Xavier continued as he drew himself up to his new full height, enjoying the sensation of standing on his own two feet. "But we can't have everything."

Moira said nothing.

"Eric can't do anything," he told her sharply. "He can't contact the authorities without giving himself away and my X-Men would turn him over in a heartbeat."

"And what about The Phoenix," Moira replied. "What would she do?"

"He'd have to find her first and she doesn't want to be found."

"And what about Scott," Moira insisted. "What would he do?"

"Scott's in a million pieces at Alkali Lake," Xavier told her with some asperity. "You really don't think she'd bother to put him back together?"

"Jean loved him," she reminded him.

"A mere infatuation," he replied calmly. "Besides, Jean's dead. It was Phoenix who came out of the lake. And I doubt she cared about him at all."

Moira didn't answer the smug comment. She just watched as Xavier continued to inspect his person in the mirror.

X X X

After dinner, Scott went out to sit on the rocks and stare at the lake, trying to put his thoughts and feelings into some kind of order.

He heard a heavy step nearby. "Come and have a seat, Eric," he offered.

"Thank you," he replied and took in the view. "I can see why you stayed here."

"There weren't really a lot of options," Scott informed him tartly. "It would have been too dangerous at the school, especially in the beginning. After she got more control, it was just harder to pick up the com-link and tell Storm. Now we have to and I don't know what to say."

"I'd begin with "hello"," Eric offered. "Ororo is a unique individual, capable of great understanding. They all are. You and Charles taught them well, I've never denied that."

"Did he?" Scott asked bitterly. "Sometimes I wonder."

"Such as?"

"Why did the Professor just lock down her powers, instead of trying to teach her to control them?" Scott finally demanded. "I mean – she's done well. A lot better than I was expecting, really. And from what Jean tells me, he never really tried. Why didn't he?"

Eric sighed. "Charles and I had many arguments about that very thing before I left. I felt she _could_ be trained, but Charles felt she was too emotional, too prone to think with her heart." He smiled slightly. "Not enough like him. He didn't trust her to respond the way he would; therefore, he didn't really trust her."

Scott said nothing. But the disappointed expression on his face said volumes. Eric noticed and tried again.

"Charles has never trusted strong emotions. His experience with them was that they were very destructive. He saw his mother destroyed by her love, first for his father, then for his step-father. But he never understood love could also be a source of great strength. That's why he initially opposed your relationship with Jean. He was afraid of the strength of it. He never realized it could be the salvation of you both."

"Still doesn't explain why he never tried to integrate Phoenix into Jean's conscience life," Scott responded. "His only solution was to lock her out."

"In Charles' defense, at the time, Phoenix may not have wanted this," Eric added. "The fact she does now, is a point in your favor and part of the success. She may not have understood what was at stake when she was young. So don't judge Charles too harshly. He meant well."

"I know," Scott admitted. "It's just – he does have a tendency to make _his_ decisions right and everyone else's wrong."

Eric chucked. "Yes, he does." He was surprised to find this would be an area of agreement for them.

X X X

Jean made up the couch and regarded her handiwork. "I hope you'll be comfortable," she said dubiously.

"My dear, I can sleep anywhere – and have," Eric reminded her.

She smiled slightly at that and wished him good night before joining Scott in the bed across the room.

True to his word, he fell asleep quickly, but it wasn't necessarily peaceful. He woke with a start and looked around, his eyes getting used to the darkness. He spied the bed and could just make out Jean's figure, her arms wrapped around Scott. Was she protecting him or being protected? It probably depended on the hour and her mood, he decided with a smile. It was something else Charles Xavier never understood. He smiled broadly, remembering Charles' shock when he realized just how close his two students had become.

_Eric returned to the school at Charles request and had been startled more by his verbal explosion than by the actual news. He couldn't understand why his friend was so upset._

"_Come now, Charles," he said, "you're being a little ridiculous. Yes, I understand what they did was _technically_ wrong ..."_

"_Wrong?" Charles spluttered. "Is that all you can say? I found them in bed together. Scott is still a teenager -- and a minor. Jean could be up on charges."_

"_You're exaggerating. The age of consent in New York is seventeen. Besides," Eric smiled. "I've spoken to them both. The boy tells me nothing happened between them."_

"_If you believe that ..."_

"_I don't, actually, but that's besides the point. That's his story, and he'll stick to it, whatever happens. He'll be eighteen in a few months, Charles, and outside your protection – and control. My advice is – make the best of it. It's really all you can do at this point."_

_Charles sighed. "I'm afraid of what could happen. We all know what happens to Jean when she loses control, especially when she's under the influence of powerful emotions. Anger, lust – it could be enough to send her over the edge."_

_It didn't escape Eric's notice the terms he used. He decided to try one of his own. "Perhaps love could save her," he remarked._

_Charles only rolled his eyes at that comment._

No, Eric decided, Charles had never really understood them at all.

X X X

The next morning, Scott flipped open his old X-Men com-link and stared at it. Finally, he pushed a button.

"Storm?" he said. "It's Scott. There's something I have to tell you ..."

X X X


	4. Who Says You Can’t Go Home Again?

_Standard disclaimer: I don't own them; I'm just borrowing them for our entertainment._

**X-Men 3.1 Resurrection**

Chapter 4 – Who Says You Can't Go Home Again?

Anger and hurt continued to build in Storm during the trip to Alaska. How _could_ they? To let her think Jean and the Professor were dead, worried that Scott was losing his mind alone in the wilderness, when all the time they were alive and well. Oh, she understood the rational well enough, but that she wasn't trusted to keep the secret – that _hurt_.

It was a lot to take in. While Storm knew Scott was alive, that Jean and Charles were alive as well was a shock. Although now that she thought about it, she wondered why it didn't occur to her that if Scott hadn't been killed, Jean might not have killed the Professor and was certainly capable of surviving Wolverine's attack. But the thought that Charles Xavier was now mentally unbalanced and that Magneto wanted to help with them – in spite of their joining forces once before (or perhaps because of the outcome of that event), it was too hard for Storm to wrap her mind around everything without getting angry.

So she stopped trying and concentrated on flying to Alaska.

Finally, she reached the coordinates of the cabin. She remembered the place from previous, happier, visits. But as she brought the Blackbird in for a landing and saw Scott and Jean standing on the dock nearby, all hurt feelings dissipated like the mist. They were alive – that was the important thing.

She practically flew down the gang way and into Scott's arms.

"I've missed you so much," she said.

"Me too," he responded simply.

Then she turned to Jean – and in an instant all was right with them again. They hugged each other without reservation. The past was forgiven in a heartbeat.

Storm spotted Eric sitting on the front porch, watching the reunion with a slight smile. "You're sure we're going to need him?" she asked Scott.

He nodded grimly. "I'm afraid so," he replied.

She took a deep breath. "So what's the plan?"

X X X

Jean made her way into the plane with some hesitation. The last time she remembered being on the Blackbird was at Alkali Lake. She shook off the memories firmly. There was a lot more to concentrate on.

Scott made his way to the front, intending on flying co-pilot, but Storm stopped him.

"Do you want to fly her again?" she asked.

Scott didn't need to be asked twice. "Hell, yeah."

Jean smiled broadly at the sight. Scott was back in his element. This was the world he loved. And her – what did she love?

She turned to find Eric regarding her carefully. "Seems like old times," she murmured.

"Yes," he agreed. "And I certainly hope those memories will be in our favor."

"We'll see," she responded cryptically.

X X X

Jean had to admit to a sense of homecoming when the mansion came into view. But .. how would the students react to the news of their resurrection?

"Did you tell the kids before you left?" Scott asked Storm from the pilot's seat. Jean smiled. That wasn't their telepathic bond – that was them being completely in sync.

Storm nodded. "I thought that was best. I didn't explain anything – I didn't know how. But they seemed to take it well. After all, they _are_ mutants – they've seen a lot of strange things in their lives."

Scott nodded and landed the plane in the underground hanger perfectly.

Storm smiled broadly and Scott matched it with an answering grin. "Just like riding a bike," he said impishly.

He held out his hand to Jean as they disembarked the plane. "Showtime."

X X X

The elevator glided up to the main floor and opened. They walked into the hall to find the entire student body waiting for them. Any concerns regarding their reception were banished in an instant. The students erupted into applause. The affection for their former teachers was obvious and enveloped them all. Who says you can't go home again?

Eventually, the applause died down and with a few words from Scott and Storm, the students returned to their classes with their teachers, leaving Storm, Scott, and Jean to the headmaster's office.

Which left Eric and Mystique alone in the hall.

"I didn't expect to see you here," Eric began.

"I wasn't left with too many choices," Mystique replied bitterly.

"Ah," he replied as he crossed the distance between them and held out his arm. "Shall we discuss this in the garden?"

She sighed and took his arm. "I should rip it off," she stated.

"But you won't."

He knew her all too well.

X X X

They walked though the garden to an old stone bench and sat down.

"Do you think I'll forgive you? You abandoned me," Mystique reminded him.

"Yes," Eric acknowledged. "I know now that was very wrong of me."

She snorted.

"I'm quite serious. I've had time to reflect. On Alcatraz Island, when I saw Phoenix standing there, the full destructive force of her, I realized I had been wrong. Not about fighting for Mutant rights, but how I was going about it. Alcatraz was truly my last stand, at least for a violent revolution. However, that doesn't mean the fight has ended. All mutants have common ground; even many Homo Sapiens understand what is at stake."

"So you're going to partner up with Homo Sapiens?" Mystique's voice dripped scorn.

"I'm not sure I'm able to go that far yet," he acknowledged. "But they're not all the enemy. And our enemies are very real. We need to be united to defeat them."

"You're sounding like Xavier now," she jeered.

Eric smiled. "Am I? There are worse things."

"Name one."

His smile slipped. "Sounding like Charles Xavier as he is now."

X X X

Back in the office, Jean and Scott filled Storm in on what they knew. Which wasn't much.

"Jean, have you made direct contact with Charles?" Storm wanted to know.

"Not really," she admitted. "I reached out to him and ... let's just say I didn't like what I found. He's different. And he's planning something."

"But what? Maybe we're just overreacting ..."

Jean shook her head. "No," her voice was firm. "He's planning something and it isn't going to be good." She turned to Scott. "I'm going to have to go back to his mind again and be a little more – persistent. He'll probably find out you're alive as well, if he doesn't know already."

Scott shrugged. "He's going to find out soon enough."

She nodded and turned her attention back to Storm. "Is the Med-lab still in existence?"

"Oh, yes," Storm replied. "Hank talked Dr. Celia Reyes into coming by regularly and being our on-call physician. She's good – but she's not you."

Jean smiled. "Well, I'll go hang my shingle out again," she said as she left Storm and Scott together in the office. Alone at last.

He looked around the stacks of paper with interest. "How are things going?"

"Chaotic," she replied. "And you know it. This part of the job isn't exactly my thing."

"Do you want some help?"

"I want you to take over being headmaster," Storm said. "I hate the administrative part, but you're good at it. Besides ... Charles always expected you to take over, not me."

Scott turned away at that.

"What happened between you?" she asked. "That morning you left? Everything ... nothing felt right that morning. And it just got worse from there."

"It wasn't that morning, it was the night before," Scott admitted. "We argued; he said – we said – a lot of things. It ended up with him practically disowning me. He said if I couldn't pull myself back together, he'd have to change his will. I told him to do what he wanted. That was the last time I saw him. I left the next morning; I didn't even say goodbye. The last person I spoke to here was Logan; I'm sure you'll appreciate the irony of that."

"Charles didn't change his will," Storm told him. "His left you in charge of everything. Of course, we thought you were dead at the time ..."

Scott smiled.

"Come back," she urged. "Take over like you were meant to do."

"Did you find a new shop teacher?" Scott asked suddenly.

"No," she replied with a smile. "That's one of the perks of being headmaster -- you assign the teaching jobs. It's yours if you want it."

"I want it," he responded. "And I'll take over running the school for you."

"You haven't asked about the team," Storm reminded him.

"No," he said. "I haven't. I think they're in more than capable hands."

Storm smiled. For the first time in over a year, she felt like things were actually going to get better.

X X X

The afternoon and evening passed quickly. It was amazing how everyone slid into their old roles, completely accepted by staff and students alike. Scott and Jean still had their old bedroom. Storm had never been able to bring herself to reassign it.

Jean sat on the bed in their old room and looked around. She felt – uncomfortable. It was their room and it wasn't. All of their things were in Alaska. This didn't feel like her home anymore.

Scott sat beside her and took her hand. She didn't need to say a word. "Want to stay somewhere else?" he asked.

She nodded and Scott gathered up the pillows and blankets and led her downstairs into the tunnels.

Jean smiled when she realized where they were going. Of course, there were limited locations on the estate, but still.

Scott heaved open the trap door in the floor and they climbed into the enclosed porch of the boat house – the scene of many an assignation between the two.

He grinned broadly. "Brings back memories."

Jean gave an answering grin as she helped him create a place to sleep out of the bedding they had brought with them.

"Any chance you could pick the lock into the house?" Scott asked suddenly. "It would be nice to get the water turned on. I seem to recall a little bathroom under the stairs."

Jean didn't even blink. "Unlocked," she announced.

"Could you find the water cutoff and turn it back on again?" he asked hopefully.

"Where is it?"

Instead of answering, he concentrated on the physical location in the house. Jean followed his thoughts and turned the knob telekenetically.

"Okay," she said.

"There wasn't any water dripping, was there?"

Jean exploded. "Do I look like a plumber?"

Scott bit his lip as he regarded her in her amethyst colored nightgown. "No," he admitted. "You most definitely don't look like a plumber."

"Why, you ..."

Scott laughed and drew her to their makeshift bed with him. Soon, any thoughts of plumbing were the last things on their minds.

X X X

Logan trudged through the grounds on his way back to the house. His truck had run out of gas a mile a way. He had used a small access road entry (thankfully, his password on the alarm still worked), which took him right by the old boathouse.

He sensed the presence of others. He drew closer to the screened porch, expecting to see students in a tryst. What he saw froze him to the spot.

Scott and Jean were lying on the floor asleep. Scott and JEAN!

His brain told him it was impossible but all his other senses told him it was true. He found himself backing away and then running to the house.

X X X

Storm opened her bedroom door in response to Logan's incessant pounding.

"Logan?! What are you doing back ...?"

"I just saw Scott and Jean in the boathouse," he interrupted. "Why didn't you tell me they're alive."

"How?" she shot back. "You didn't tell me where you were going and you didn't take a com-link with you. Besides, I only just found out this morning myself. Oh, Magneto's here too."

"Swell." Then a thought occurred to him. "What about Chuck?"

"The Professor's alive," Storm confirmed. "In fact, he's the problem." Then she smiled. "Welcome back, Logan."

It was too much to deal with at this point. "I'm going to bed," Logan announced, as he leaned forward to give her a peck on the cheek. "It's good to be home, 'Ro."

Surprisingly, he meant it.

X X X


	5. Reconstruction

_Standard disclaimer: I don't own them; I'm just borrowing them for our entertainment._

**X-Men 3.1 Resurrection**

Chapter 5 – Reconstruction

The morning light streamed through the boathouse. Scott opened his eyes to find Jean already awake, watching him.

"Good morning," he murmured.

"Good morning," she replied, snuggling up against him. "It's still awfully early, though."

"Anyone in the house awake yet?"

Jean closed her eyes and let her mind dance over the residents of the mansion. "All the kids are still asleep," she announced. "So's 'Ro and ..." She stopped for a moment before continuing. "Logan's back. He wasn't here yesterday."

"Oh."

She took Scott's face in her hands. "You don't have anything to worry about. You _never_ had anything to worry about."

He reached out and stroked a strand of her hair. "I know," he replied lightly. "I suppose I always did know ... but it's hard to fight your worst instincts."

"Tell me about it," Jean said and then smiled brightly. "Let's get some coffee."

X X X

Getting coffee involved going back to the house and meeting up with the school's cook, who was so overwhelmed at seeing them alive she sat down at the kitchen table and cried. Only Jean's offer (some would say threat) of helping with breakfast made her pull herself together and get back to cooking. Scott and Jean heard her humming while she worked as they took their coffee back to the headmaster's office.

Jean watched as Scott immediately dove into the mountains of paperwork on the desk and around the office. Then she sensed another mind nearby – one she had to talk to.

"I'll see you in the dining room," she said lightly as she left the room.

Logan was standing on the staircase, waiting.

// _Meet me in Storm's classroom_ // she sent him as she walked down the hall to the conservatory. He joined her there and shut the door.

X X X

"How could you make me kill you?" Logan began without preamble. "How could you let me think you were dead all this time?" It took all the self control he had learned from Xavier not to unsheathe his claws and rage.

"I had to," Jean explained gently. "I had made such a mess of everything; the only way was to start over and repair as much of the damage as I could. But the only way to do that was to be free of my body. You were strong enough to kill me – I knew that. It was my only chance to start again. Can you understand?"

Actually, he _did_ understand and his anger melted. "Why couldn't you let us know you were still alive?"

"It was safer," she admitted. "Safer for everyone. You, me, the kids, Scott. I've only just reached the point where I have enough control to avoid accidents. It's taken a long time, Logan, but I'm finally whole."

"And Scott?"

"His death was slightly exaggerated," Jean replied. "Once I realized how my powers worked, putting him back together was, well, it wasn't easy, but it wasn't hard either."

"You still want him?" Logan had to ask.

"I always wanted him, Logan," she stated firmly. There was no hesitation this time; he knew she was sure now, even though it broke his heart.

"Let's get some breakfast," Jean offered lightly.

He shrugged and followed her out of the room. He might as well eat.

X X X

Breakfast at the mansion was normal and noisy. Most of the teachers congregated around a single table – except Eric and Mystique. They sat among the students. Scott could see Eric was keeping up a steady flow of conversation. At first, Mystique was unmoved, then she slowly began to thaw. By the end of breakfast, she was smiling and chatting away as if nothing had happened between them. Scott wasn't surprised; he knew Eric could be completely charming – when he wanted to be.

The rest of the adults discussed the business at hand.

"So, what do you know?" Logan began.

"In a nutshell," Scott replied. "I'm alive, Jean's alive, and Charles is alive. Both Eric and Jean think his mental state isn't what it was and that his planning something, probably something dangerous. Jean's going to try to go back in telepathically and see what's going on."

"Is that a good idea?"

Scott shrugged and looked at Jean. "We've got two of the most powerful telepaths on the planet," he admitted. "And we all know what damage can be done. Our goal is to find out what he's got planned and stop him, all under the radar."

"That's going to be tricky," Storm offered. "Are you going to need Cerebro?" she asked Jean.

"No," came the reply. "But I will go down there. It was built for telepathic communication. I just won't need to use the helmet."

Storm was startled by that comment, easily remembering the days when Jean had trouble maintaining the simplest psychic link. But those days were long gone.

X X X

Charles had repaired Cerebro as much as he could after Stryker brutal attack on the school. The console and helmet were there, waiting. But Jean didn't need them anymore. She sat on the floor near the console and concentrated.

_// Hello, Charles. //_

_// Hello, my dear. I've been expecting you. // _

_// We're worried about you. //_

_// You're worried because of me. And with reason. It's time to act. //_

_// Act how? With force? That's not like you, Charles. //_

_// I don't approve of force, my dear Phoenix. I still don't. But after Stryker and Alkali Lake and how The Cure was used as a weapon against mutants, I've decided to be more – proactive. //_

_// Charles, what are you going to do//_

_// That's for me to know and you to find out. Oh, don't worry, I don't plan on hurting anyone. But trust me -- it will be an onslaught the likes of which no one will have witnessed before. //_

With that, Charles brutally broke the connection between them, leaving Jean gasping on the floor.

X X X

It took all of Scott's self control to leave Jean in Cerebro and go back to the office to work. He wanted to sit downstairs and wait, but he knew there was nothing he could do.

Storm entered the office to see if there was any word from Jean and looked around in amazement. All those piles of paper, cascading from one to another were gone. The in/out box on the desk was overburdened, but the desk itself was clear.

"What happened to all those papers?" she asked in wonderment.

"The papers?" Scott responded. "I mailed off the ones that need to be sent, filed the rest -- I don't know. I just took care of it."

She took his hand and kissed it. "You're a god," she proclaimed.

He laughed and then stopped. "Jean's finished," he said by way of explanation. "Let's go downstairs."

X X X

Jean was outside Cerebro by the time they got there. Logan was there too; he had been wandering around the basement area, waiting for her.

"I couldn't find out what he's going to do," she told them. "He kept it blocked from me. He says no one will be hurt, but I don't trust him. I don't trust that "I know best" mood of his. But whatever it is, we won't have to wait long." She leaned against the wall for a moment. She was surprised how much the strain exhausted her. She wondered if Charles had purposely made it harder. Probably.

Scott knew from experience she needed to recover from the psychic connection. He held out his hand. "Let's go for a walk."

Jean took it and they slowly made their way up to the gardens.

X X X

It didn't take them long to find their memorials. Three of them – Scott, Jean and the Professor. Scott stood for a moment, regarding them. Jean slipped her hand into his, saying nothing.

He turned to her. "I have to admit," he said. "It's kind of freaky to see."

She grinned. "Especially since they're all empty. I don't know what they did with my corpse -- probably gave it to my parents. Do you want to take the memorials down?"

"No," he replied. "We'll need them eventually."

They continued to walk around the garden until Jean felt well enough to come back to the house.

X X X


	6. The Road to Hell

_Standard disclaimer: I don't own them; I'm just borrowing them for our entertainment._

**X-Men 3.1 Resurrection**

Chapter 6 – The Road to Hell

That afternoon, Scott returned to the classroom for the first time in over a year. He had put up the notice regarding the shop class in the morning. It was intended to be an informal "let's-pick-up-where-we-left-off" kind of class. He only expected 3-4 of his old students to show up. He was stunned to walk into the garage to find a full class of over a dozen students. He was surprised to see a handful of new students in the group as well.

The class time went by quickly. Before he knew it, the session was over. "So, that's enough for today," he said, dismissing the class while he returned the tools to their places.

"Mr. Summers – can I ask a question?"

He turned back to Dani, one of his old students. "Sure. What is it?"

"Why did you leave?"

There was a sharp intake of breath from the other students. No one else would have dared to ask.

Scott sighed and crossed his arms. "I left because – I'd hit rock bottom. We all thought Jean was dead and I was hearing her voice in my head. I thought I was going crazy. I had to leave."

He turned the chair around and sat astride, resting his arms on the back. "Okay, you all deserve this much. Whatever question you have – ask it. And whatever it is, I'll answer it. But just this once. Then we close the book."

The students nodded and understood this was a one shot deal.

"How could you let us think you were dead?"

"It was the safest way for everyone. I told Storm and my brother – and that was it. I know I hurt everyone and I'm sorry. But the situation was complicated."

"What happened to Dr. Grey?"

"She had a power surge and couldn't handle it. Alcatraz Island was the result. Afterwards, she was still too unstable. That was another reason we couldn't come back. We needed time for her to learn control her new powers."

"Is she stable now?"

"I think so."

"Are you going to stay?"

That was a harder question, but he wasn't going to lie. "I don't know," he replied. "There are still a lot of things to be sorted out. But I hope so."

That seemed to satisfy the students and they began to leave for their next class. Before she left, Dani leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. "I hope you do stay, Mr. Summers. We missed you."

Scott couldn't help but smile at that. He had wondered if anyone had missed him. He now knew the answer.

X X X

Scott returned to the lab, expecting to find Jean, but the room was empty. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

_// Red//_

_// I'm in the boat house. Come and see what I've been doing. //_

With another couple of hours before dinner, he strolled down to the boat house, using the garden path instead of the tunnels. Jean had swept and tidied around the house; it had already lost that woebegone deserted look.

When he stepped inside, Scott was startled. The house was actually furnished. Jean stood in the doorway to the kitchen and smiled.

"Most of the stuff was already here," she told him. "I just took off the dust covers and cleaned and vacuumed. The kids brought up our bed and other furniture from our old room. I could have done it without their assistance, but they seemed to want to help."

"So you want to stay?" Scott asked slowly.

"I think so," Jean replied. "But I don't want to go back to living in the mansion. There's too much mental noise there; here, it's bearable. Not as calm as Alaska, but liveable." She became suddenly somber. "That is, if we're able to stop Charles."

"Do you know what he's going to do yet?"

"No," she said. "But it's started. I can feel it. We're not going to have to wait long."

As it turned out, they only had to wait until the next morning.

X X X

The wave of pro-mutant legislation rolled across the world like a tsunami. It began in Britain, where it was passed in record time and with little opposition. Then came Canada and Australia, followed by South Africa. It was debated in the European Union and passage looked certain in all of Scandinavia.

All the legislation had the same themes: mutants were guaranteed all civil liberties and equal rights and protection, anti-mutant activity was classified as a hate crime, and being a mutant from a country that did not have a mutant rights charter was automatic grounds for political asylum.

It was enough to take every mutant's breath away. The staff of the Xavier School discussed the implications in the lounge.

"So why is this a bad thing?" Logan asked.

"Because Charles is doing it," Eric replied bitterly. "And as usual, he's being very heavy handed about it. Eventually, people will realize they're being manipulated. And then they'll come for us -- just as they always have."

It was a bleak view and Scott agreed with it. "What's he actually doing?" he asked Jean.

"Mental manipulation on a massive scale," she replied. "He's making everyone think it's their idea. Now, ordinarily, if they were predisposed to think that way, it would be easier. But Charles isn't bothering to sort out different levels. He's using mass telepathic control to get what he wants. The stress is enormous and not only on Charles. The more opposed the person really is to the ideas being projected, the worse the physical and mental strain on the person. The results of what he's doing could be catastrophic."

"So how do we stop him?" Logan asked.

"Good question," Jean replied. "I could try to block his thoughts, but he's very strong and very powerful. Also, Eric's right. We can't afford to tip anyone off as to what's really happening or there could be a backlash like we've never seen before."

"Do what you can to minimize the impact," Scott said. "Could we get a message to Moira on Muir Island without his knowing? I doubt she approves of what he's doing."

"He's got her completely under his thumb," Eric stated. "We may need a straightforward physical assault on Muir Island to get control of Charles. I think you're right; she'll help us if she can, but she may not be able to do much."

Storm nodded. "See what you can do," she said to Jean. "The rest of us had better be ready."

The others filed out before Eric and Mystique. "Did you notice Summers took control of the meeting without thinking about it?" she asked.

"Minor point," he replied. "Storm won't fight his authority until this is over. Afterwards – I have my money on young Mr. Summers. He's a formidable opponent in any circumstance."

Mystique smiled as she left the room. That might be fun to watch.

X X X

Jean went back downstairs to Cerebro while Scott and Logan waited in the hallway. Logan was distinctly uncomfortable. Scott knew it, but wasn't about to help him out.

Some things never changed.

"I'm glad you're still alive," Logan began.

"Thanks," Scott replied. "I'm glad I'm alive too."

Silence reigned.

"Do you think she'll be able to stop him?"

"She's powerful enough," Scott said. "She's always had the power. She was just untrained for way too long. Maybe Charles saw this coming all those years ago and _wanted_ her – stunted. But maybe I'm just being overly suspicious. He probably just meant well."

Logan realized now just how long Scott and Jean had known each other. And suddenly, he realized something else. "You _knew _about The Phoenix. You've known all along."

"I suspected it," Scott admitted. "I'd spent some time in psych wards before I came here. I had seen different things. In those days, Jean and I were often the only ones here. We had a chance to talk. A lot. I figured it out and our psychic link just confirmed it. I'm not stupid, Logan; I always understood the risks of being with her. But they were worth taking."

Logan didn't disagree with that. Which brought up another memory – one of which Logan was distinctly ashamed. He decided to clear the air.

"There's something you ought to know," he began.

Scott regarded him, expectantly. He knew what was coming.

"When we thought ... well, you had ... disappeared and we thought ... so Jean and I ..."

"I know," Scott said. "Forget about it."

"How could you know?" Logan responded, irritated.

"Jean told me," he responded. "And I understand you feel a little – uncomfortable -- about what happened on the lab table. What do you want me to say? Do I like it – no, but it did happen over a year ago, so it's water under the bridge at this point. If your problem is you were ready to screw her, even though you thought she'd killed me – well, I completely understand that too. I don't approve, but I understand."

The sound Logan made was halfway between a gurgle and a choke. Just then, Jean reappeared. She looked completely exhausted.

"It's no good," she said. "Charles control is too tightly wound. If I tried to interfere with the connection, I could do more mental damage than leaving it alone. He knows it too. We don't have any choice. Our only way to stop him will be a pitched battle." She wobbled a little on her feet and Scott was instantly at her side.

"Let's go back to the boat house," he said as he slowly guided her out of the hall.

Logan watched them for a minute and then turned – to find Eric watching him.

"Do you understand yet?" Eric asked.

Logan said nothing.

"Well then, let me be plain so you finally do," Eric said brutally. "She came back for him – not for you. She resurrected him and stayed with him. What more do you need? Don't make the same mistake Charles did. She knows what she wants. She always has."

With that, he left leaving Logan alone – and wondering.

X X X

Logan wasn't the only one considering the conversation. Scott regarded Jean as they rode in the elevator to the upper floors.

"Logan was talking to me about what happened between you two last year – or trying to. I think he was uncomfortable; I'm glad if he was."

Jean snorted a laugh, but said nothing.

"But then I started thinking – and remembering. I knew what had happened between you; I told him you had told me. But that's not it. It was a memory – like I was there. When you made me disappear at Alkali Lake, where was I?" Scott asked. "Really?"

Jean sighed. "I honestly don't know for sure," she admitted. "You're right -- in some way, you were really there. The only thing I can think of is when I first came out of Alkali Lake and saw you there, I was so happy. You were there and I wanted you. I wanted you with me forever."

"So you made me a part of you?" he said slowly, grappling with the idea.

She nodded. "I think so. It's the only thing that makes sense. It also explains how I was able to bring you back. Besides," she stopped.

"Besides what?"

"Sometimes, I knew you were there. You talked to me every so often," Jean declared. "I thought it was my conscience – but it was you. I'm sure of it." She smiled. "You're a bit of a nag when you're in a non-corporeal state."

"Good," Scott replied. He was going to say more when Jean suddenly punched the button to the main floor.

"Rogue's back," Jean told him by way of explanation. They made their way to the front hall where a small familiar figure waited.

X X X

Rogue stood in the hall as if rooted to the spot. Scott reached her first; he saw the distraught expression on her face.

"Rogue, what is it?" he asked.

Tearfully, she kicked off the ground and levitated for a few minutes. She didn't need to say anything. Scott opened his arms and she ran into them, sobbing as if her heart was breaking. He looked over at Jean, who was surprisingly beaming.

"I think I know how to stop Charles," she said.

X X X


	7. The Laws of Unintended Consequences

_Standard disclaimer: I don't own them; I'm just borrowing them for our entertainment._

**X-Men 3.1 Resurrection**

Chapter 7 – The Laws of Unintended Consequences

Moira placed a cup of tea at Charles Xavier's elbow. His eyes were closed and she had no idea if he were awake or not.

"Thank you, Moira," he said without opening his eyes. "The tea was very thoughtful."

"I'm worried about you, Charles," she said. "I know you said no one would get hurt – "

"And no one has," he interrupted.

"But what about _you_," she insisted. "The strain must be unbearable."

Charles sighed and sipped his tea. "It is not beyond my power," he stated firmly. Then he looked up sharply. "And it is beyond the abilities of the X-Men to stop me. So put that thought right out of your head, Moira. I will not tolerate conspiracies against me."

"They're going to try, Charles," she insisted. "Are you ready for that?"

"The question is, are they ready to fight me?"

Moira turned and left the room at that. Charles was beyond reasoning with at this point. She only hoped the X-Men were ready to fight.

X X X

Rogue, Scott and Jean were also having tea, in the headmasters office. She had stopped crying and had finished telling the story of the past year – and the sudden reoccurrence of and massive change in her mutation. Not only had she developed the powers of flight, she also had super strength.

"... Bobby said he didn't care," Rogue finished, wiping away the last of her tears. "But I didn't know what was going to happen. So I came back here."

"Best thing you could have done," Scott remarked. "I'm sorry for what happened, but we're glad to have you back."

"_Very_ glad to have you back," Jean jumped in.

"Jean," Scott warned.

"Scott, we don't have time," she replied and quickly outlined the situation to Rogue. She sniffed, but looked intrigued.

"So what can I do?" Rogue asked.

"You can drain off Charles' power," Jean replied. "That will cause a gradual, slow break of his mental hold on all those people. They won't notice anything. Now you can fly, you can get close. He won't expect that. Then I'll be able to move into his mind and repair the damage I caused."

"Jean, this is a new power for her," Scott cautioned. "Plus she had limited training with the X-Men. I don't want to sent her in ..."

"I'll do it," Rogue said firmly. She looked at Scott. "I'm tired of feeling helpless."

Jean smiled. "You're outnumbered, Scott." She rose and put her arm around Rogue. "We'll set up a crash course training program with Storm. She's the most familiar with flight here."

The door to the study burst open to reveal Logan. "They told me Rogue was back," he said.

Rogue jumped up and ran to him as she had with Scott – two of the people she trusted most.

Scott and Jean both rose to leave them. "I still don't like this," Scott began as soon as they were back in the hall. "And Logan won't like it either."

"Since when have you cared what Logan likes or doesn't like?" Jean said flatly and then softened. "Look, Scott, I know you're worried. But when I saw Rogue, I saw in a flash how it can work. We have to stop Charles. The strain on everyone is building. I can feel it."

X X X

The next morning, Scott and Jean had an unexpected wake-up call. Scott woke with a start to find Logan standing by their bed, leaning on the footboard.

"Geez, Logan, I could have blasted you through the wall ...," he began.

"Save it," Logan replied and tossed Scott the morning newspaper.

"What is it?" Jean asked groggily. Scott only pointed to the paper. The headline said it all.

"BRITISH PRIME MINISTER DEAD. NATION SHOCKED."

He looked up from the paper. "It says he had a stroke. And how long do you think it will be before they figure out why?"

"Storm's already called battle stations," Logan said. "We can't wait anymore. We're going to have to go after Chuck and stop him."

X X X

It didn't take long for everyone to suit up. Storm outlined the mission.

"Our goal is simple – stop Charles one way or the other. We're going to fly to Muir Island; Jean's going to hide our presence as much as she can, but Charles may realize it, so we have to assume we don't have the element of surprise. Rogue, your job will be to get to Charles and draw off his power. Jean believes that will break his hold on the political leaders. It might even weaken him enough so we don't have to resort to physical force."

"Good luck," Mystique snorted.

Logan glared at her. "I didn't know you were joining us."

"For this I will," she replied and looked at Storm. "I'm a good fighter and you may need that."

Storm nodded. "You're in." She looked at Eric expectantly.

"I know him better than anyone here," he stated flatly.

That was true enough. "Okay," she said. "The main team is myself, Cyclops, Phoenix, Rogue and Wolverine. Mystique and Magneto will provide backup. Any questions?"

They headed for the Blackbird with one thought in mind – stop Charles Xavier.

X X X

Scott piloted the Blackbird while Rogue worked with Jean and Storm in the rear. Logan came forward and leaned over the seat.

"I don't like this," he stated.

"What don't you like, Logan?," Scott asked grimly. "Rogue's going into battle with no X-Men training to speak of, with only two flight lessons with Storm, and a plan from Jean that could fall apart in any of a dozen places?" He looked back at the other man. "I don't like it either."

"So what do you suggest?"

"You're Rogue's wing and I'm Jean's," Scott returned. "And if it all falls apart we improvise. We have to stop Charles. We don't have a choice."

"What do we do with them?" Logan asked as he regarded Eric and Mystique at the back of the plane. They were watching Jean and Storm work with Rogue with interest, and appeared to be offering helpful suggestions. All the old animosity was put aside for today.

Scott shot a look over his shoulder. "We use them." And a moment later, "What's Charles' body count up to now?"

"Half a dozen politicians and power brokers, from all over the world, and not just in the countries that passed the pro-mutant legislation. It looks like Chuck was moving on to phase two of his plan when they started dying on him. So far, no one's made the connection, but it won't take long."

Scott sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. "Heads up," he announced. "Muir Island in ten minutes."

X X X

Scott landed the Blackbird on the beach near the research facility, away from the village. No one was sure exactly what would happen and they wanted to keep witnesses to a minimum.

They disembarked slowly, each of them alert to their surroundings. Jean scanned the rocky landscape around them.

"He knows we're here," she announced.

"Of course I know you're here, my dear," a familiar voice rang out. "It's so delightful to see you all again after such a long time."

Charles voice held a mocking tone, as he casually strolled towards them. Storm stood forward, ignoring the instinctive shock of seeing him walk for the first time.

"You have to stop this, Professor," she said. "Your intentions may have been good, but you're killing people."

Was there a brief cloud over Charles' face? If so, it was gone in an instant.

"That was regrettable and unintended," he stated. "Now that we have legal protection, I can end my control over those who favored the ideas naturally and move on to other countries. We'll be protected around the globe at last."

"We can't allow you to do that, Charles," Eric said, stepping forward alongside Storm.

"I'm surprised you're taking this tack, Eric," Charles said. "I would have thought you'd approve."

"I know where this road leads," he explained. "No good end for us, I can assure you."

"I disagree," Charles contradicted with a smile. "I can get us what we need. It's a wonder that I never thought of doing this long ago."

"You never thought of it, because it's not your thought," Jean explained. "It's a part of you that you always kept under control. I encouraged you to end that control. To be like me."

"Then I thank you, my dear. Perhaps if I hadn't have been afraid of your power, we could have done wonderful things. No matter – I can continue on my own."

"No you won't," Storm said firmly. "Rogue – now."

All while they were talking, Rogue was removing her glove. She quickly flew at the Professor, grabbing his hand and pulling it behind his back in an ordinary wrist lock. But the maneuver worked.

A siren sound of voices filled Rogues mind. Colors, swarming, churning, sending her mad. But she held on. Had she had any training with telepathy, she would have felt the gradual weakening of Charles as he began to slowly release all the minds he had in thrall. However, she didn't. Finally, the stress on her own mind was too much to take. She screamed and collapsed in pain.

"Rogue!" Logan cried as he ran to pull her out of harm's way.

Charles stared at Jean, gasping from the attack. "That was – unexpected," he said between breaths.

Jean held out her hand. "You have to stop, Charles. You have to let me in so I can fix things."

"No," he said flatly. Jean reeled as if struck.

"It's going to take more than that to stop me," she said. "I have the power to stop you."

"Come now, my dear, don't be silly," Charles said. He had recovered from Rogue's attack and the mocking note returned to his voice. "Oh, you have power to spare, but I have control. And that's something you've always lacked. My dear Phoenix."

"He's right," Jean said to Scott. "I have the power, but I don't know how to use it. And he does."

"Listen to me," he said firmly. "You can stop him. You have the power -- I have the control. There's nothing we couldn't do when we did it together. Use me. Take my hand – we can do this."

Jean smiled and grasped his hand. Her eyes glowed orange; her body glowed orange as she levitated off the ground. She became The Phoenix.

The battle began. Physically, the only thing anyone could see was Jean and Charles, their faces contorted with the psychic strain of the battle. Only Scott had an inkling of how deeply they were probing each other's minds. Finally Jean collapsed onto the ground. The Professor remained standing, but barely.

Jean looked at Scott. "I was almost there," she confessed. "I need ... Scott – I need a diversion."

He didn't need to be told twice. He took aim and fired.

Charles looked up and smiled mockingly. "You missed, dear boy."

"No, I didn't."

The crack from above made Charles look up. In that instant, Jean entered his mind.

She held the debris from the blasted cliff face away from them while she performed the "psycho-surgery". As she expected, it didn't take long to repair Charles Xavier's psyche, once she was allowed in. But she didn't count on the toll the experience would take on her. She collapsed again and so did the rubble -- on top of Scott and Charles.

X X X


	8. Tape and Chewing Gum

_Standard disclaimer: I don't own them; I'm just borrowing them for our entertainment._

**X-Men 3.1 Resurrection**

Chapter 8 – Tape and Chewing Gum

"_Beep ... beep ... beep_"

Cautiously, Scott opened his eyes. He could recognize those rhythmic sounds anywhere. He was in the Med-Lab. Jean came into view instantly.

"Hi."

"Hey," he croaked back. "How'd we do?"

She took his hand. "We all made it back alive. Thanks to Rogue's draining off Charles' power, the hold he had over all those people was broken gently enough where there was no damage to them as far as I can sense."

"How is he?" Scott asked.

Her face shadowed, but she told him the truth. "He'll survive," she said. "But ... when the cliff fell on top of you both it ... his back is broken, Scott. He'll be in a wheelchair again."

Scott closed his eyes. That had never been his intention.

"He regained consciousness yesterday," Jean continued. "He took the news better than I expected."

"Yesterday?" Scott questioned. "How long have I been out?"

"Two days," she said with a wry smile. "Hanks been coming back and forth to help me with the two of you. And I've had dozens of volunteer sitters for you both. Rogue only just left."

"How is she?" he asked. He had not been comfortable throwing the girl on the front lines like that.

"She's fine," Jean replied. "She was okay before we left Muir Island. We got everyone stabilized there before we attempted to move you or Charles. Moira came back with us as well. She blames herself for not being able to stop him."

"She shouldn't," Scott said. "She's not strong enough. It took all of us to defeat him. How's everyone else?"

"A lot of bumps and bruises from the rocks falling off the cliff. You and Charles were buried under the debris; I was just outside it. It look Logan almost an hour to dig you out."

"He dug _me_ out?"

"Yes, he did," Jean responded with a kiss. "Storm went to Moira to get help, Rogue and I were out cold, Eric and Mystique worked on freeing Charles, and Logan dug you out first. You probably owe him your life."

Scott was too tired to think about owing Logan anything. He closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep, under Jean's amused gaze.

X X X

When he next woke up, it was to find Logan sitting in the chair opposite.

"Where's Jean?" Scott asked.

"She's upstairs with her parents," Logan responded. "They're too glad to see her alive to ask too many questions. They came down to see you too, but you were asleep. I think you've earned brownie points with them." He didn't tell Scott what Jean had told her parents, '_Without him I wouldn't be here.'_ Logan knew now she would never leave Scott. Magneto had been right.

Scott struggled slightly, looking for the water glass by the bed. Logan picked up the glass for him and held it while he drank.

"Thanks," Scott said.

"Don't mention it."

Okay, but there were some things Scott had to mention. "Jean told me you dug me out," he said. "You saved my life."

"Well, we're even," came the terse reply.

Scott found himself smiling at that. Their first meeting in Alberta seemed so long ago.

Just then, Jean breezed back into the room, looking happier than she had been in a long time. "You're awake," she said as she bent down to give him a kiss. "And my parents only just left. I had to promise we'd go and stay with them as soon as you were up and about." She turned to Logan and added, "Thanks for looking after him."

"No problem," he said and moved to the door. "I'll leave you two alone." He found himself looking back at the pair before closing the door.

X X X

Scott soon convinced Jean (she called it nagging) to let him get up and start walking around the Med-Lab. And, since neither he nor the Professor were ever left alone, his baby sitter for the moment was Rogue.

He was walking steadily enough down the corridor, but Rogue kept an arm firmly around his waist. She had lost her timidity with physical contact. Of course, Scott had shown her from the beginning she had no need to worry, at least with him. But she now walked and talked with confidence. She had seen her mutant powers were of use; she had a purpose in life with the X-Men. It was enough to put together a life.

Scott was talking to her about going back to college, and they discussed the possibility of doing some of her coursework online. "If you'd like a job, we could really use a Residence Assistant. Someone to keep an eye on the kids, help them get settled, stuff like that. Your hours could vary, depending on your coursework, full-time or part-time, it doesn't matter. You get a salary and benefits, either way. You'd have to live in the house, though. Jean and I are staying at the boat house. It's better for her there."

He stopped suddenly and took a deep breath. Rogue was immediately concerned.

"Do you want to go back to your room?" she asked. "Can you make it that far?"

"Yeah," Scott replied. "But take me to Charles, instead. I'd like to talk with him for a while."

"Okay," Rogue said dubiously. "But Magneto's there a lot."

He smiled. "That's okay. I'm long past any feelings on that score."

"I'm not," Rogue stated firmly.

But as it turned out, the Professor's sitter wasn't Magneto, but Moira. She smiled broadly to see Scott.

"I see you're finally up and about," she said.

"Up," he agreed. "And only slightly about. I thought I'd come and sit with Charles for a while."

"Of course," she said and immediately vacated the chair. "He's sleeping now, but he'll probably wake up soon."

"Good," Scott said as he eased himself down in the chair.

"I'll come back to get you in a half an hour," Rogue assured him as she left with Moira.

"Fine," he said and settled down to wait, patiently listening to the Professor's light breathing and the sounds of the equipment.

X X X

Professor Xavier opened his eyes and found Scott sitting in the chair next to him.

"I'm glad to see you," he said softly. "They told me we were both buried under the rocks."

"Jean only just let me out of bed," Scott responded. "But I'm feeling better now.

The professor's brow furrowed. "It isn't really Jean -- she's at the bottom of Alkali Lake. This is the Phoenix. Surely you realize that?"

Scott sighed. "The Phoenix was always a part of Jean; you just never wanted to admit it. But what made Jean _Jean_ is still there. She's whole. The way she always should have been."

Professor Xavier closed his eyes. "I only did what I thought was best at the time."

"I know," Scott said. "It's just that wasn't what was best for her in the long run. You were wrong."

His eyes reopened. "I've been wrong about many things lately. I'm sorry for everything I said last year when you left. I didn't understand -- perhaps I didn't want to."

"You disowned me," Scott reminded him. He had to say it; the wound had been too deep.

"I was wrong," the Professor admitted. "Can you forgive me?"

Scott smiled. "I forgave you a long time ago."

They sat companionably silent for a while.

"I understand you and ... Jean ... have taken up residence in the boat house. It must need a lot of repairs; no one's lived there in years."

"Oh, it does," Scott agreed cheerfully. "But you can do a lot with tape and chewing gum."

"I only wish other repairs were as easy," he said. "I suppose all the countries are busy dismantling the anti-mutant legislation I imposed on them?"

"You'd think that, but you'd be wrong. So far, no one has even suggested it. Besides, a lot of the countries were toying with the idea before you put everything on a fast-track. They're still discussing it in Scandinavia and other countries have gotten on board. All without you making them. Maybe people really are good at heart, especially when you give them an ideal."

Just then, Rogue poked her head around the door. "Dr. Grey says times up," she announced. "I have to get you back to your room, pronto."

Scott sniffed, but didn't argue. He was feeling tired. "See you tomorrow," he said as he slowly walked out the door.

X X X

Jean entered the room right after Scott left.

"Well," she said with clinical brightness. "Let's see about getting some of those needles out now."

She carefully removed the remaining IV tubes. Professor Xavier watched approvingly. "You've always had a good touch ... Jean." He didn't quite believe it yet. He still couldn't quite believe this was _his_ Jean Grey. And she knew it.

But she smiled anyway. "Starting to feel better?" she asked.

"More like myself," he admitted and decided to confess more. "My feelings before ... I've always had very strong powers, but I'd never felt them as intently before. I knew could do anything I wanted – and for the first time, I didn't care about the consequences."

"That's my fault, I'm afraid," Jean said as she took a seat on the chair beside the bed. "When I took you apart and sent your consciousness to Muir Island, I wanted you to know what it was like – to be _me_. I didn't understand at the time my powers work very literally. Your personality shifted to how I was a year ago." She smiled somewhat grimly. "I did a similar thing to Scott – poor baby."

"You're very dangerous."

"No," Jean corrected softly. "I have very dangerous powers – if misused. As you do. I've learned to control them – as you never thought I could."

"_Are_ you Jean?" Professor Xavier asked suddenly. "Did any of your personality survive? Or are you just a shadow?"

Jean looked him square in the eye. "You would never believe this, but it's true -- I was _never_ two personalities. I had problems after Annie died and after my powers emerged, but they were surmountable -- if you had tried. I was mis-diagnosed by more than the doctors -- there was you too. What you thought was another personality was just me -- trying to understand everything. You ripped me apart mentally. You took away the parts of my personality that you didn't like, that you didn't trust, or didn't feel would be good for me. Deep down, I knew what had happened and knew I needed to be whole again. At Alkali Lake I reached in and found myself again. The powers you locked up saved my life. The Jean you wanted me to be couldn't have survived Alkali Lake; she could barely survive the conflict of loving two men. But I'm whole now and I will not be taken apart again. And that's my last word on the subject."

"Very well." He closed his eyes. "I'm sorry I hurt you. That was never my intention."

"What do they say about the road to hell and good intentions," Jean quipped. "Oh, I know you thought you were helping. And in many ways you did. You just went too far. And that's something I _definitely_ understand."

Professor Xavier smiled slightly at that.

"So," Jean continued. "Here we are – two repentant mass murders who will probably never be punished for our crimes -- in the legal system, anyway."

"I'm not a mass murderer," he stated firmly.

"Charles," she said softly. "People _died_. They died because of what _you_ did. Just like when I got angry at Alcatraz. People died. And that doesn't even count the hundreds that died when Stryker had you under his control. We're mass murderers, Charles. There's no two ways about it."

He closed his eyes as if in pain. "So what do we do?"

Jean smiled. "We keep an eye on each other. And we make sure it never happens again."

He looked up with a sad smile at that. "A pact, then?"

"A pact," she agreed. "We promise to keep the other from getting too far off beam."

"So noted," he agreed.

X X X

The days slowly went by. Scott was the first to be released from the Med-Lab, first to an upstairs room and then back to the boat-house. Finally, the Professor was able to return to his own old quarters. They were exactly the way he had left them; Storm had not been able to bring herself to touch them.

No one even pretended things had gone back to the way they had been a year ago. Too much had happened, too many lives lost and shattered, too many illusions gone. But the school had survived, the children had survived, and the X-Men had survived. It was enough.

X X X

Scott slowly walked to the front of the mansion. Standing outside, with a small suitcase beside her was Mystique.

"Leaving?" he asked.

"I left my resignation on your desk," she said. "It was fun, but I've got bigger fish to fry again."

Eric drove up in a silver jaguar. "I said goodbye to Charles already," he said. "I don't want us to overstay our welcome. Are you ready, my dear?"

Mystique grinned as Scott loaded her suitcase into the trunk of the car. "I just have one question," she asked. "Just how long had you been sleeping with Jean before Xavier caught you?"

"None of your damn business," Scott replied without heat.

"You were that young, huh?" She mockingly saluted him as she climbed into the car. "See ya, Summers!"

Scott shook his head as he walked back into the house.

X X X

Back in the basement, Logan made his way to the Med-Lab.

"I see you've kicked everyone out," he said.

Jean smiled brightly. "Yes, I'm finally back to peace and quiet – and bumps, bruises, and broken bones. But very little that can't be fixed."

He took a deep breath. There was something he had to say. "Magneto told me," he began. "You came back for him. For Summers."

"I did," she confirmed. "Why do I get the feeling you're not used to being told no."

Logan found himself smiling at that. "It's just -- you never seemed that sure before."

"My personality was fractured before," Jean reminded him. "But I always knew who I wanted; that never changed. I just sometimes wanted more than one."

"More than one, huh?"

"Don't get any ideas," she chided him. "But it is possible to love different people – in different ways. I love Scott; I love you. That will never change."

"So what's he got that I haven't got?" Logan teased.

"He brings out the best in me," Jean said, suddenly serious. "You saw some of the worst. Scott has so much power at his command, but he can walk away from it. The power can't tempt him; he has no interest in the darkness. He does good things because he's a good man; he chooses to make a difference. And he makes me think I can do the same. But even more than that, he _loves_ me – and he's not afraid."

"I'm not afraid."

Jean chuckled. "You were a year ago when I was trying to seduce you on the exam table."

"Well, I think I can be forgiven for being surprised..."

She smiled. "You weren't surprised – you were frightened. Of me. Scott's never been frightened of me. Frightened for me, perhaps, but never of me. He's always accepted me -- body, soul, and every facet of my personality. You don't walk away from something like that. Ever."

"I guess not." Logan moved to the door.

"Are you going to stay?" Jean asked.

"Here?" he replied. "I don't know – do you want me to?"

Jean smiled brightly again. "I want you to. We need you; the kids need you; I need you. Besides," she added. "I want you to be there for my children."

Logan realized in an instant she wasn't speaking metaphorically. "You're ..?"

She nodded. "Scott and I haven't been as careful as normal recently. It's been ten weeks."

"Does he know?"

"I'm going to tell him today."

Logan smiled as he kissed Jean. "You're going to be a great mom, Jeanie."

"So you'll stay?" she asked.

"Wouldn't miss it," he assured her as he left the room.

X X X

Scott entered just as Logan left.

"I passed Logan in the hall," he said. "He had an uncharacteristic smile on his face. He's probably planning some mayhem with something that belongs to me."

"Probably," Jean agreed. She started laying out instruments on a tray and counting them. Scott moved to the tray she had just finished and started playing with them.

"Magneto left this morning," he told her.

Jean smiled slightly at the return of the other name. She nodded. "Mystique actually came to say goodbye. She told me she was leaving with him."

Scott shook his head. "After the way he abandoned her – I'm surprised she could forgive him."

"She loves him," Jean said. "People will do a lot for those they love."

He returned the smile. "That's true." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Did Logan want anything specific?"

"Yes and no," she said. "I told him I loved you both. You do know there's never going to be a resolution to that."

"Not without a three-way," Scott deadpanned.

Jean went into peals of laughter. "Would you really consider it?"

Scott's grin broadened and he began to laugh. "No," he admitted. "I just don't see it."

"Could be fun," she teased.

He shook his head. "You'll just have to be satisfied with me."

"Well that's never been a problem," Jean agreed. "My wonderful young studly husband."

"Husband?" There was an amused question in his voice.

"Well," she said "I thought we ... _I _had made you wait long enough. Besides, I thought you'd want to do the right thing by me. Given my condition, and all."

It took Scott a few seconds to grasp her meaning. He knocked over the tray of instruments as he pulled Jean into a tight embrace.

X X X

Out in the hallway, Logan heard the clatter of the metal tray as it hit the floor and he smiled. This would definitely be worth sticking around for.

The End.

_Authors note: There were two reasons I wrote this story. One, I couldn't leave Scott and Jean in the bind X3 left them in. Second, it always annoyed me that, in spite of all the terrible things he's done, Charles Xavier has normally been allowed to keep his powers in the X-Men Universe, whereas Jean usually has to die or lose her powers. I wanted her to be the equal of Charles, both in powers and the ability to control them. The Phoenix lives, but my Phoenix is neither insane nor unstable. I hope you liked the story._


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